Window screen



Oct. 25, 1932. v 1,883,999

WINDOW SCREEN Filed Jan. 27, 1932 :yuwwzgj Patented Oct. 25, 1932 PATENTOFFICE LOUIS LEVI, OF WIN'IHROP, MASSACHUSETTS WINDOW SCREEN Applicationfiled January 27, 1932. Serial No. 589,077.

This invention is an improvement on that disclosed by Letters Patent ofthe United States N 0. 1,783,732, granted to me December 2, 1930, saidinvention being embodied in a window screen including a single innerframe carrying the usual screen fabric and invariable in size, a housingframe embracing the inner frame and formed to engage vertical screenguides on a window casing, the housing frame being variable in sizehorizontally and invariable vertically, and springs cooperating withsaid frames to permit convenient engagement of the housing frame withthe screen guides, and compensate for variations in the distance between the screen guides, caused by swelling and shrinking of the casing.

One object of the present invention is to provide improved means forslidably engaging the housing frame with the screen guides, wherebyfriction resistance to the movement of said frame on the guides isdecreased, and the cost of construction is reduced.

Another object is to provide means for securing the springs to thehousing frame during the operation of assembling the parts of said framewithout the employment of special spring securing means, such as spotwelding or rivets, and thereby reducing the cost of manufacture.

\ Another object is to enable the screen fabric to be quickly applied tothe inner frame by an unskilled person, and confined on said frame byparts of the housing frame when the two frames are assembled, andquickly removed from the inner frame when the latter is removed from thehousing frame, preparatory to the application of new fabric.

Of the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a side view showing a window screen embodying the presentimprovements, engaged with vertical screen guides.

Figure 2 is a side view showing the inner frame and the fabric filling,portions being broken away.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view showing in section parts of the housingframe, and one of the springs as secured by assembling said parts, partsof the inner frame and screen fabric belng shown in elevation.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a section on line 66 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a section on line 77 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side View showing a portion of the inner frameand a portion of a sheet of screen fabric as first applied to the frame.

Figure 9 is a section on line 99 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 8 showing the fabric sheet foldedto provide the flanges hereinafter described.

Figure 11 is a section on line 111 of Figure 10.

Figure 12 shows the housing frame alone in perspective and considerablyout of proportion.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of thefigures.

In the drawing 15 designates the invariable inner frame, and 16 thesheet of screen fabric constituting the filling of said frame. Thehorizontally variable sheet metal housing frame surrounding the innerframe is composed as heretofore of two angular end sections, one ofwhich is designated as a whole by 17, and the other by 18 in Figure 12.Each section includes, as heretofore, a vertical member constituting oneend of the frame, and two horizontal members fixed by electric welding,or otherwise, to end portions of the vertical members and telescopicallyinterengaged as heretofore with complemental horizontal members fixed tothe vertical member of the other section. Each of the members of eachsection includes a neck and two substantially parallel flanges connectedwith the neck.

The necks of the vertical members are designated by 19, and the flangesby 20. The necks of the horizontal members are designated by 19 and theflanges by 20.

I have improved the Vertical and horizontal members of the housingframe, as next described, to adapt said frame to run with a minimum offrictional resistance on the usual vertical screen guides a a (Figures 1and 7).

Thenecks 19 of the vertical members instead of having guide-engaginggrooves extending from end to end as disclosed by my former patent, havesubstantially flat or slightly convex outer sides constituting clongated runners bearing only on the outer edges of the screen guides,without hearing on the opposite sides thereof, as shown by Figure 7.

The end portions of the vertical members are inserted between theflanges 20 of the horizontal members and united thereto preferably byspot welding indicated by 21, (Figure 12).

The flanges 20 of the horizontal members are extended outward from theends of the necks 19 to form short parallel cars 22 constituting lateralrunners bearing on opposite sides of the guides and preventing sidewisedisplacement of the housing frame relative to the guides. It will beseen that the described elongated runners, or necks, and short lateralrunners, or ears, not only en able the housing frame to slide freely onthe screen guides, but also prevent the passage of insects through thescreen. Moreover, the cost of manufacture is materially reduced byeliminating the operation of forming the guide-engaging grooves in thenecks of the vertical members of the housing frame, required by theconstruction disclosed by my former patent.

The springs interposed between the vertical members of the housing frameand the vertical members of the inner frame to automatically elongate,and permit the contraction of the housing frame, horizontally, andmaintain the runner portions of the housing frame in yielding engagementwith the screen guides, as disclosed by my former patent, are. inaccordance with the present invention. bowed springs 23 which bear attheir ends on the necks 19 of the vertical members of the housing frame,and exert pressure at their midlength portions on vertical members ofthe inner frame 15.

Each spring has a hook 24: at one end engaged with an end of a verticalneck 19, and confined in such engagement by an end portion of ahorizontal neck 19 as shown bv Figure 3. I

The several vertical necks 19 before the members housing frame areassembled, so that the assembling operation. causes the horizontal necks19 to bear on the hooks and prevent their displacement from the positionshown by Figure 3.

The opposite end of the spring is adapted to slide on the vertical neck19 with which the hook is engaged. The end portions of the verticalnecks 19 are preferably indented to receive the outer portions of thehooks 24, so

books 241 are engaged with the of the hereinafter described between thescreen fabric 16 and the inner frame 15, whereby a person without skillin screen making may quickly apply a sheet of screen fabric to, andremove it from the screen and cause its secure retention in itsoperative position by inserting the inner frame in the housing frame. Tle sheet 18 of screen fabric employed is of greater area than the innerframe 15 so that when placed on one side of said frame as indicated byFigures 8 and 9 it has free marginal portions 16 projecting from theframe. Said marginal portions are then folded to form fabric flanges 16"extending across the margin and upon the opposite side of the frame, asshown by Figures 10 and 11. \Vhen the inner frame 15 is inserted in thehousing frame, as shown by Figures 3, 5 and 6, the fabric flanges areconfined on the inner frame by the flanges of the housing frame members.

The fabric is readily separable from the inner frame by unfolding theflanges thereof when the frame is withdrawn from the housing frame, andis quickly replaceable by another sheet.

The corners of the fabric sheet may be cut off to form diagonal edges 16to provide the fabric flanges with oblique ends extending side by sideon the inner frame without overlappin I claim:

1. A window screen of the character stated comprising an invariableinner frame having a filling of screen fabric, and a horizontallyvariable sheet metal housing frame surrounding the inner frame andcomposed of two angular end sections telescopically interengaged to varythe length of the housing frame, said sections including vertical andhorizontal members, each having a neck and substantially parallelflanges connected thereby, end portions of the flanges of the verticalmembers being inserted between and fix-ed to end portions of the flangesof the horizontal members, the necks of the vertical membersconstituting elongated runners adapted to contact with and slide freelyon the inner edges of vertical screen guides, and the flanges of thehorizontal members being extended from the necks thereof to form shortspaced apart ears constituting lateral runners adapted to contact withand slide freely on opposite sides of said guides,

ice

so that the areas of Contact between the housing frame and the screenguides are reduced to a minimum, with a corresponding reduction offriction.

2. A window screen of the character stated comprising an inner frame, afilling of screen fabric thereon, a horizontally variable sheet metalhousing frame surrounding the inner frame, opposite vertical members ofthe housing frame being engaged with and slidable on screen guides, andsprings interposed between the guide engaging members of the outer frameand corresponding members of the inner frame, to compensate forvariations of the distance between the screen guides, said springshaving end portions bearing on the said guide-engaging members, andbowed mid length portions exerting pressure on the inner frame, said midlength portions being recessed to maintain the springs in engagementwith the inner frame.

3. A window screen as specified by claim 1, comprising also bowedsprings bearing at their ends on the necks of the vertical members ofthe housing frame and exerting pressure at their mid length portions onvertical members of the inner frame, each spring having a hook at oneend engaged with an end portion of the neck of a vertical member of thehousing frame, and confined in such engagement by an end portion of theneck of a horizontal member.

4. A window screen of the character stated comprising an inner frame, afilling of screen fabric thereon, anda horizontally variable sheet metalhousing frame surrounding the inner frame, and having spaced apartflanges, opposite ends of the housing frame being formed to engage andslide on screen guides, the inner frame being inserted be tween flangesof the housing frame, the screen fabric being a sheet of greater areathan the inner frame, so that the sheet, when placed on one side of theinner frame, has free marginal portions which are folded to form fabricflanges extending across the margin and upon the opposite side of theframe, said fabric flanges being confined on the inner frame by flangesof the housing frame when the two frames are assembled, the fabric beingseparable from the inner frame by unfolding the fabric flanges when thetwo frames are separated.

5. A window screen as specified by claim 4, the screen fabric sheetbeing cut away at its corners to provide the fabric flanges with obliqueends extending side by side on the inner frame, without overlapping.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

LOUIS LEVI.

